Hay-carrier track



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y R HAY CARRIER TRAGK.

No.5555606. Patented Mar. 3, 1896 wir f 7 we 72h71 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LOUDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

HAY-CARRIER TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,606, dated March 3, 1896.

Application tiled December 14, 1894. Serial No. 531,848. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LOUDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hay-Carrier Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an elevated track for hay-carriers; and it consists of means for connecting and suspending the sections of which said track is composed, so that certain sections will be held substantially horizontal while adjacent sections will be more or less abruptly declined below the level of the others; also in an improved form of suspending device, and in other improvements in details hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective of the track and attachments. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the track, showing a suspending device attached and carrierwheels mounted on the side iianges of the track-rail. Fig. 3 is a side view of a modifled form of suspending device, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same.

A represents a hay-carrier track composed of the sections l, 2, 3, and 4, which are joined together by means of the splice-clamps B B and C. These splice-.clamps are constructed so as to hold the adjoining sections of the track-rail at an angle to each other, the clamps B B holding the sections l and 4 substantially horizontal and the sections 2 and 3 in an inclined position, while the clamp C holds the sections 2 and 3 in oppositely-inclined positions.

Suspending-links D are fitted between the upper edges of the splice-clamps B and are looped over rafter-brackets E. A similar link D is tted between the edges of the spliceclamp C, and additional links D/ are connected to this link D to extend up to one of the brackets E, all of which in use are secured to the rafters substantially on a level.

Clamps F are secured to the track-rail at intermediate points and are fitted with suspending-links D and an additional link D/ to extend up to the brackets E. As many intermediate suspending-clamps may be used as desired, and as many additional links D may be connected to the links D as may be necessary to extend up to the brackets E;

also as many horizontal sections of track-rail may be connected to the sections 1 and 4 as may be necessary to complete the track.

A preferable form of suspending device is shown in Fig. 2, consisting of two clampingpieces G and' II, having inwardly-turned lips I to catch under the head of the rail and a bolt J to hold the pieces together. On the upper end of the piece H a pin or finger K is formed, which fits into a hole opposite to it in the piece G. The link D is looped under this pin or finger, and when the pieces are clamped on the rail the link D will be securely connected to them. The links D may, however, be secured to the clamping-pieces by the bolt (or one of them) which holds the pieces together, as shown in Figs. l and 4. The principal advantage of the form shown in Fig. 2 is that while it requires no additional bolts it secures a better leverage than in the form shown in Fig. 4 for clamping the lips I against the rail. In place of the bolt J any other suitable means known to the art may be used to hold the pieces F or G and H together.

Various constructions of the suspending device may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, links of various lengths may be used, which will be suflicient to extend up to its supporting-bracket and the additional links D be dispensed with, or when the additional links D are used they may be connected to each other or to the link D by open links, such as are in common use. Instead of the links D hooks M, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used, which may be connected to the additional links D or be long enough of themselves to reach up to and connect with the brackets E. The essential thing is that the suspending device Inay be readily adjusted in length to suit the distance between the track-rail and the brackets, and that the portion which clamps the track-rail be readily adjusted at an angle to suit the incline of the rail. The preferable way toA do this is to pivotally attach the suspending-links D (or their equivalents) between the clamping-pieces F (or G and Il) so that they will be free to accommodate themselves to any incline of the track, as indicated by the dotted lines of the hook in Fig. 3, and that all the links D may be adjusted IOO to suit the incline of the traek. In place of the brackets E, any other suitable kind of overhead supporting device may be used.

ln use the dropped portion of the track is suspended over the place where the load is to be elevated by the carrier, (which is done in the ordinary way and need not be explained.) A track constructed like that shown in Fig. l is designed for the carrier to run in either direction from the center, and the object in dropping it at that point is twofold.

First. If the track was constructed substantially on a level, as indicated by the dotted line w, the carrier, as soon as it was released from the stop-block, would start with a jerk along the track into the mow, and would be liable to upset or scatter the load to a greater of less extent. The track being abruptly declined at the point where the stop is placed and where the carrier starts, it would have to run up the incline before getting onto the level part of the track over the mow. This would check its sudden release from the stop and prevent the sudden start while the part of the track over the mow, being substantially level, could be suspended close up in the roof of the barn, so as to occupy the least space, and the carrier would run upon it in the usual manner.

Second. The carrier can be much more easily returned by the operator pulling on a cord, (which is the usual way of returning a carrier back to the stop,) because the track being declined in the center where the stop is located the operator will have more power to draw the carrier down the decline than he would have on a level track immediately over his head.

YVhcn the carrier is to be operated at one end of the track, only one of the dropped sections 2 or 3 is used and only one of the spliceclamps B. In this case the splice-clamp C is not needed, but a suspending device will have to be used in its place to support the end of the track.

The track-rail is preferably of metal rolled in the shape shown in Fig. 2. It consists of a vertical web having a bead or head on its upper edge for the lips of the clamping device to catch under and horizontal flanges S S on its lower edges with their edges R R upwardly curved for the carrier-wheels lV lV to run on.

I am aware that track-rails of rolled metal have heretofore been made having a vertical beaded web and horizontal side flanges for the carrier-wheels to run on, but in such cases the edges of the side flanges have been rolled substantiallyhorizontal throughout, and carrier-wheels with fiat faces have been used to run on them, and when heavily loaded these latwfaced wheels are liable to press outward on the horizontal flanges and spread the frame of the carrier and let it slip oli' the track. I overcome this diiliculty by having my trackrail rolled, so that the edges of the horizontal side flanges will be upwardly curved to fit in grooves in the faces of the carrier-wheels lV,

so that the wheels will bear on. a portion of the inner and upper sides of the ilanges, as well as on their edges, as shown in Fig. 2. lVhen the rail is rolled in this way, which may be done without extra expense, and grooved carrier-wheels are used to run on the inner sides of the upwardly-curved flanges, they cannot slip outwardly on the rail and spread the carrier-frame or bind on their bearings and make the carrier run hard on the track.

llavin g thus described my invention, what Iclaimasnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A l,iayearrier track composed of ab utting sections of traek-rail each having a vertical web, suspending devices connected to said vertical webs and adapted to suspend one or more sections of the track-rail in a substantially horizontal position, and an abutting section in a declined position, and a splice clamp having its opposite ends formed at an. angle to each other so as to connect the abutting sections in horizontal and declined posi.- tions, substantially as described.

2. A hay-carrier track composed ol' abutting sections of track-rail each having a vertical web, suspending devices connected to .'aid vertical webs so as to support the end sections of the rail in a substantially horizontal position, and the central sections in declined position, and splicing-clamps having their opposite ends formed at an angle to each other so as to connect the central and end sections together in horizontal and declined positions, substantially as described.

A hay-carrier track composed ol". abutting sections of track-rail each having a vertical web, suspending devices connected to the central parts of said sections, a spliein g-clai n p connected to the webs of the abutting sections so as to connect them together, and a suspending-link connected to said splicing-clamp so as to support the ends of said sections, substantially as described.

4t. A track-rail comprising a vertical web for the attachment of suspending and clamping devices, and horizontal ilanges for the wheels of the hay-carrier to run upon, the outer edges of said flanges being upwardly curved so that the hay-carrier wheels may bear upon the edges oi said flanges and also upon a portion of their upper and inner faces, substantially as set forth.

5. A track-suspemling device consisting of a central link or hook adapted to catch over a supporting device, two verticallyarranged clamping members adapted at their upper ends to embrace said link orhook and at their lower ends to embrace the vertical. web of a track-rail, and means to hold said members together, and at the same time to clamp their upper ends on the central link or hook and their lower ends upon the web of the trackrail, substantially as described..

G. A tracksuspending device consisting of: a suspending-link, two vertical]y-arranged clamping parts, adapted at their lower ends IOO IIO

to embrace the edge of the track-rail, and at In testimony whereof I have signed this their upper ends, one of the parts having a specification in the presence of tWo subscribhorizontal finger adapted to catch in the susing Witnesses.

pending-link, and the other having a hole WVILLIAM LOUDEN. 5 adapted to catch over the point of the finger, Witnesses:

and hold the suspending-link thereon, and AGNES LOUDEN,

means to hold the parts together. C. J. FULToN. 

